The present disclosure relates generally to voltage scaling architecture on system-on-chip platform.
Different integrated circuit (IC) chips that include the same circuitry can perform differently, for example, due to innate variations in the fabrication process, voltage supply variations, voltages and temperature conditions (condition (often referred to in a combined way as PVT), with P, V, and T denoting process, voltage, and temperature, respectively). IC chips can be characterized and classified into several categories (e.g., typical, fast, slow, etc.) depending on the frequencies that the chips can operate at. Characterization of IC chips includes determining frequency-voltage characteristics for each of the categories. The frequency voltage characteristics provide information on voltage requirements to operate at a given frequency for a particular category of IC chips. The frequency-voltage characteristics corresponding to the category of a given IC chip is made available to a system that includes the chip such that the system can determine the operating voltage of the chip for various frequencies.